The Guam Coastal Management Program is calling on businesses, local governments, organizations and residents to support a nationwide effort opposing proposed federal budget cuts that would eliminate funding for Coastal Zone Management programs.
In a letter released June 18, the Bureau of Statistics and Plans said the Trump administration's proposed budget again seeks to end funding for state and territorial coastal management programs, including Guam's.
BSP Director Lola Leon Guerrero warned that losing federal support would threaten key planning, environmental protection and natural resource management efforts across the island.
GCMP oversees land-use planning and coastal resource management, ensuring federal projects comply with Guam laws and policies while balancing environmental protection with economic development.
The program has led or supported major initiatives, including Guam's first terrestrial conservation district, the Seashore Reserve Plan, watershed planning efforts, flood-risk management projects, and evaluations of telecommunications cable landing sites.
GCMP also organizes the annual Assembly of Planners Symposium and the Guam International Coastal Cleanup, which mobilizes thousands of volunteers each year to remove debris from Guam's shorelines and collect environmental data.
Beyond planning efforts, the program has played a role in advancing environmental legislation, including measures to prohibit seabed mining in Guam waters and strengthen conservation protections.
Officials said the loss of federal funding could halt or significantly reduce many of these programs and services.
The agency is now gathering signatures for a statement urging Congress and the administration to continue funding Coastal Zone Management programs. Support is being sought from businesses, local governments, nonprofits, academic institutions and individual residents.
"The current funding threat is the biggest financial challenge we have faced, but our work is too important to give up," Leon Guerrero said.